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Question

Call Forwarding iPhone 16


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Just got 2 new iPhone 16s for my wife and I and moved from O2 to iD.

Wife works in a school and can no longer make/receive phone calls or messages nor browse the internet within school premises.

Trying to forward her ID number to another sim but failing when using the normal method. Enable Forwarding, enter number, press back, Forwarding switches itself off.

Eventually got calls forwarded using **002*number* but if phone with ID sim is on, it rings there first. If that call is declined it forwards to the other phone.

Am I doing something wrong?

21 replies

WelshPaul
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  • May 27, 2025

Pretty sure it should be *21*[phone number]# to forward all calls.


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  • May 27, 2025

Just tried that - got activation failed message. 
 

**002* is forwarding everything but calls still go to original number and only forward if declined


Siân
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  • May 28, 2025

Call forwarding is indeed a service we offer however this is completely set up in the device itself ​@Steve61 

From the home screen, select the Settings app.

Scroll to and select Apps, then scroll to and select Phone.

Scroll to and select Call Forwarding. Select the Call Forwarding switch to activate call forwarding.

I hope this helps.


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  • May 28, 2025

Hi - thanks for your input.

First thing I tried was to go to settings/apps/phone/call forwarding

Most of the time the little icon just spins and spins. Sometimes the slider button appears.

When it does, I slide it to on the click the Forward To input. I put in a valid number and hit back. When I do, call forwarding immediately switches itself off!

Tried on several iPhones, 11 & 16 and different versions of IOS

Same results every time. Using the **002* code was a last resort. 


Tom
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  • iD Mobile Employee
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  • May 29, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61 

 

Sorry to hear that, as mentioned call forwarding is set up completely in the device itself, we wouldn’t change anything on our side.

 

It may be worth contacting Apple directly for support.

 

Tom


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  • May 29, 2025

Hi Tom. 

My understanding is that call forwarding is managed by the carrier. I spoke to Apple who confirmed the same.

i tried my daughters sim in the handset and it worked fine (O2)

 


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  • May 29, 2025

Just to recap.

I have exactly the same issue on 2 IPhone 16 handsets and one iPhone 11 handset when using either of the two iD mobile SIM cards I have.

When I use my daughters O2 SIM card in any of the same 3 phones, call forwarding behaves as it should.

As a final test, I even tried putting the iD mobile SIM card in an Android phone and call forwarding failed there too.

I have spoke to Apple who said that call forwarding is handled by the carrier but they ran through a number of tests before confirming they could find nothing wrong with the handset or OS

i have searched the iD community site and can see that many other people have had the same issue on a wide variety of handsets and operating systems


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  • May 29, 2025

I used *002*number* to forward my phone to another number. According to the first screen below, it worked! So, I called my phone and it rang on the handset…. Not on the number I had forwarded it to.

I called *#002# to see what the carrier network said and got the second screen… showing it clearing thinks incoming calls are diverted. But they are not. 
 

 


Tom
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  • May 30, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61 

 

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account, so we can discuss your issue further. 

 

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’. 

 

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview  

 

We’ll see you there. 

 

Tom


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  • June 2, 2025

So…got the Private Message invite 3 days ago. i responded immediately but I have not heard back.

Yesterday I tried online chat again. Was eventually told I needed to get a new SIM card. Done that. No change. The issue is exactly as it was before.

surely someone in iD support can help???


andewhite
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  • June 2, 2025
Steve61 wrote:

So…got the Private Message invite 3 days ago. i responded immediately but I have not heard back.

Yesterday I tried online chat again. Was eventually told I needed to get a new SIM card. Done that. No change. The issue is exactly as it was before.

surely someone in iD support can help???

Sounds like O2 has a better signal (than Three UK) within the school buildings. 

Perhaps your spouse can use the iD WiFi Calling service within the school buildings - I use WiFi Calling with my iPhone at home, as I’m in a mobile not-spot.


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  • June 2, 2025

Hi Andewhite - sadly she is a visitor to the school and is not permitted access to the wifi!

We accept that every network will have black spots and use WiFi calling where possible, though our experience over the last couple of weeks suggests Three have many more black spots than others in our area.

However, that aside, the ongoing issue is that Call Forwarding does not work. 


Siân
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  • June 2, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61  sorry for the delay, I can see that we have replied to your message this afternoon.

I’m afraid we can’t always reply straight away.


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  • June 2, 2025

Hi Sian - yes, someone replied today to say responses may be infrequent!!

My experience with other Support groups has been that when they invite you to communicate on a Private Message system it’s because someone has been allocated to look into the issue. Obviously not the case here.


Tom
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  • June 3, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61 

 

We’re looking into the issue and are assisting directly via PMs.

 

Tom


WelshPaul
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  • June 9, 2025

I finally got around to testing call forwarding on my iPhone 16 Pro with iD Mobile, and I can confirm that I experienced the same issue as you, ​@Steve61.


Enable Forwarding, enter number, press back, Forwarding switches itself off.


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  • June 9, 2025

The good news is that the “support team” have made some changes… and my phone now works!

However, it seems it is only being fixed on a phone by phone basis as my wife’s phone still has the same issue and the support team apparently cannot tell me what they changed! I have been told that my wife needs to register the issue herself before they can look into it!!

Only a few weeks in to this contract but already regretting the decision. Poor support, terrible signal coverage but too late to back out without a financial penalty


WelshPaul
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I just tested this on my son’s iPhone 16, and his phone does exactly the same thing. Clearly, call forwarding is disabled account-side, and iD Mobile must have enabled it on your account.


Tom
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  • June 10, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61 

 

I’m sorry to hear you feel this way, however happy to hear we got it sorted.

 

If your Wife also needs support, we’ll need them to get in touch with us themselves if they are the named account holder.

 

Tom


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  • June 10, 2025

Tom - I am delighted the problem has been resolved on my phone. I am grateful to whomever has been involved in making it work.

However, it should not have been a problem in the first place. In all the years I have used mobile phones (believe me, it’s many years and in many different parts of the world) I have never encountered this issue.

Many other people on this forum have complained about the same issue. To have to resolve it on an account by account basis seems ridiculous - surely it is a standard feature which should be available to all users right out of the box? And if that is the case, wha can’t iD mobile implement a blanket fix for all customers?

My wife has raised the issue independently but we are wondering if it will take another 4 weeks for her to get a resolution.

With regard to the network coverage, I appreciate that is less of an iD issue and more of a Three issue. Their infrastructure obviously cannot cope with demand. Perhaps once the dust settles from the Voda take over, things will improve there too.

 


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  • June 11, 2025

Hi ​@Steve61 

 

We’re glad this has been sorted for you.

 

The Services are not fault free and they may be impaired by too many people trying to use the Network, geographical, topographical, atmospheric, or other conditions (including buildings, underpasses and other causes of interference) and/or circumstances beyond our reasonable control. https://www.idmobile.co.uk/legal/terms-and-conditions/all-in-one  

 

We will continue the conversation with your wife.

 

Anika